You may not hear the rumble of their engines in the distance, but you probably know: More and more electric vehicles are heading our way.
The automobile industry knows, adding more models and less expensive options to their electric vehicle (EV) offerings, and looking at all-EV production in the future. Governments and businesses are adding EVs to their fleets.
And climate-conscious consumers are ready to make a switch - if they can find ways to "fuel" their new cars.
The transportation sector is the nation's biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, so it's great to see more interest in clean cars, trucks, buses and more. But for consumers who'd like to leave their fossil fuel-powered vehicles behind, reliable EV infrastructure - charging stations - could be big speed bump.
EV adoption is integral to meeting Governor Cooper’s climate goals, as outlined in his 2018 executive order on climate and clean energy. The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Plan set out how North Carolina will reach the order's target of at least 80,000 registered ZEVs by 2025.
And there are ways to accelerate EV charging infrastructure to make North Carolina a true "Green Roads" state:
- $68 million remains to be spent from North Carolina’s portion of the Volkswagen (VW) settlement
- Duke Energy has proposed a second EV charging pilot program
- Private companies such as Tesla that build branded charging stations
VW Settlement Funds
In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cited VW for non-compliance with Clean Air Act emissions standards. The resulting settlement included a mitigation trust fund, which allocated money to states for diesel emission reductions.
North Carolina received $92 million from the trust fund; a third of it was allocated during the first phase of grantmaking. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will allocate the remaining $67 million during Phase 2, which runs from 2021-2024. These grants will target air pollution reduction through vehicle retrofits and replacement as well as purchase of ZEVs and up to 15 percent of the funds can be used for EV charging.
DEQ released a draft Phase 2 Volkswagen Mitigation Plan in July that is open for public comment until Sept. 7. You can help us ask DEQ to emphasize EV/ZEV spending by using our suggestions to submit your own comments.
Non-governmental and government entities can apply for VW funding. Only public entities can apply for equipment and vehicle replacements, though both public and private projects are eligible for light-duty (passenger vehicle) ZEV infrastructure. Priority will be given to proposals for vehicle electrification, those that serve under-resourced communities and rural counties, and counties that did not receive Phase 1 funding. Unser the draft plan, new diesel projects are allowed - an option we're suggesting against, given the settlement’s goal to reduce vehicle emissions.
The proposed DEQ plan for Phase 2 is to again allocate 15 percent of the total available funding for EV infrastructure such as Level 1, Level 2, and fast chargers located in public places, workplaces, or multi-unit dwellings.
Duke Energy’s Proposed EV Pilot Program
In 2019, Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress proposed a $76 million EV pilot for North Carolina. The N.C. Utilities Commission reduced the funding to $25 million, which will still fund installation of 280 charging stations across North Carolina, including Level 2 chargers at public locations and multi-family dwellings. The pilot program also includes funds for Duke to offset the purchase of 15 electric school buses.
Applications for this first EV pilot program are closed, but Duke Energy recently asked the Utilities Commission to approve $56 million to build out the pilot. This followed a stakeholder process that included representatives from cities and towns across the state, environmental groups including Sierra Club, and transportation and energy groups. The new program would include $13.5 million to underwrite part of the cost of 60 school buses and $28.5 million to install 180 fast-charging stations along major highways.
Duke Energy submitted the proposal in May. The Utilities Commission took initial comments through the end of July, and is accepting reply comments until this Thursday (Aug. 19).
Public-Private Partnerships: Tesla
There’s been numerous announcements recently about private EV car and truck companies partnering with states to install charging. For example, Rivian, an American EV automaker and EV charging company, announced plans to install chargers at all of Colorado and Tennessee’s state parks. The company made these announcements as part of its overall strategy to build out a network of 10,000 Level 2 chargers by the end of 2023.
Tesla is expanding charging across the country through both its Destination Charging Network and its Superchargers, which offer 200 miles of range on a 15-minute charge.
(It's important to note that Tesla chargers are incompatible with other electric vehicles without the use of adapters. Tesla may provide adapters to hosts for free on request or, in some cases, install regular Level 2 charging stations next to their branded stations. EV owners also may buy an adapter, typically for under $200.)
The Destination Charging Network includes Tesla charging sites across the globe. The program typically provides access to free Tesla charging infrastructure at hotels, restaurants, multi-family units, and workplaces.
The current program setup allows potential charging sites to apply for the network online. A Tesla representative then determines if the applicant is a good fit. If approved, Tesla matches the site to a local electrician, and will fund the equipment and installation up to a certain monetary cap. In most cases, this allowance covers the full cost of the initial setup. Hosts currently must pay for the electricity used for free by consumers, though the next generation of wall chargers are set to require a per-use payment system.
Each of these options has different requirements and timelines, but there are options for pretty much any situation where chargers are desired. We encourage local governments, businesses, state parks, apartment complexes, and community organizations to take full advantage of these exciting opportunities so that we use every available dollar to make North Carolina the Green Roads State.